Synchronize Activities
Today's project teams face many challenges. They must overcome the complexity of
working together from different locations. Schedules are more compressed than ever
and budgets keep getting smaller, yet the the scope of projects seems to expand almost
without limits. Project teams also need to manage constant change, amidst an overload
of information and communications. Trying to keep project activities synchronized in
this highly chaotic environment is one of the primary reasons so many projects fail.
Unify Data
For teams to work together effectively, they must have real-time access to current project data. If that data is dispersed across disconnected tools not readily available to all team members, it is a virtual certainty that critical decisions will be made relying either on outdated or incomplete information. A workspace unifies all of your project data in one location, serving as a single source of truth, and ensuring that decisions are based on the most current and complete information.Align Teams
Activities on a project need to be carefully sequenced. From handling requirements management to validating deliverables, coordinating and synchronizing team activities is critical to meeting project goals. To effectively align teams, all project activities must be visible and transparent. That is where workspace.com comes in. The visibility and transparency workspace.com provides enables team members to track the progress of other team members, so that dependent tasks are timed to synchronize. Activities that are falling behind schedule are quickly identified, and can be adjusted by adding new resources or re-prioritizing assignments. And with easy linking of project data, be it change requests to requirements, or test results to defects, team members with different roles and responsibilities stay connected and in sync.
Transparent Communications
Communication and collaboration are fundamental to every project. When team members don't communicate well or are unaware of critical communications, teams get out of sync and projects fail. With workspace.com, communication is completely transparent. Team members can see questions, comments, and suggestions relating to any project activity, task, requirement, defect, and more. No more wondering whether you were on the last e-mail thread about a critical project activity. With workspace.com, it's all right there, all you have to do is look.
Analyze Performance
Projects evolve. Resources turnover, scope changes, initial estimates aren't accurate; these are just a few examples of events that alter a project's course. To best adjust your project's course to meet budget, schedule, quality, and scope objectives, project teams need accurate and real-time performance data. This data must clearly show the history of what has happened on a project, where the project stands currently, and where the project is heading.
Performance History
There's and old saying that "those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it." This is especially true in technology projects. To correct a project that is behind schedule or over-budget it is critical to first understand how the project fell behind. With workspace.com, you get both a portal to your project's past, and a window to its future. All of your project activities are chronicled, so you can quickly identify what caused problems with your project, and determine the best adjustments to get you back on track.Current Picture
A truly accurate picture of your project's current status requires real-time project data. Quality trends, schedule and cost variances, and traceability matrices are just a few of the key performance indicators that give you a clear picture of where your project stands. This level of data aggregation and analysis is typically burdensome, costly and time-consuming. But no more. With workspace.com, real-time data analysis of your project's performance is just a click away. The custom reports, dashboards and project alerts built into workspace.com are like your very own real-time radar system, watching key performance indicators for any sign of risk.Predicting the Future
Absent a crystal ball, the key to predicting where your project may be heading is to understand its past and present. Armed with that knowledge, you can best set or reset expectations to reflect the reality of how performance to date is going to impact how your project is likely to proceed. The performance data produced by workspace.com serves both as a barometer of what you can expect, as well as a blueprint for how to best implement change. And, although not a crystal ball quite yet, workspace.com will supply you with information that will allow you to see farther into the future than ever before.Optimize Results
Projects are a true test of a team's ability to adapt and improve. As project conditions
change, teams need to adjust course. With real-time data from your workspace, you
have the critical information you need to make the budget, schedule, scope, and
resource changes that give your team the best chance to succeed.
Navigating Troubled Waters
Projects are very much like navigating the open seas. Winds shift, currents change, weather is unpredictable, and vessels breakdown. Its up to the crew to closely monitor all conditions and make the course adjustments necessary to reach safe harbor. Projects are no different. Teams need to share a common workspace where data on costs, schedules, quality, scope, and resources can be closely monitored, adjustments quickly made, and objectives reached successfully.Balance Resources
Project teams are almost always understaffed. Resources are expensive, often scarce, and budgets always tight. With your team sharing a common workspace, you can monitor productivity, ensure that tasks are assigned or re-assigned to the right team members, and quickly determine where resource shortages or overages need adjustment. Effective utilization of team members requires the data and visibility that only a true workspace can provide.